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pCloud Review

In three short years, pCloud has managed to take the cloud storage industry by storm thanks to a strong blend of functionality and security features. With 3 million customers already on board, pCloud’s excellent service is hard to deny.

The company offers one of the most attractive free options of any online backup provider, including up to 20GB of space and a free trial of their pCloud Crypto service, which adds client-side encryption to all of your stored data.

With an intuitive design and accessibility from anywhere in the world, pCloud offers an easy-to-use and efficient way to take the files you need and want wherever you go. pCloud is also committed to ensuring you don’t lose your data. The company’s separate server sites add extra layers of protection for your information. On the whole, pCloud is an excellent service for home and business users looking for a secure and straightforward cloud backup solution.

Usability

Having a lot of features on offer is fantastic, but it means nothing if the service itself isn’t user-friendly. This is one of the biggest highlights of pCloud as it really takes the guesswork out of everything.

The software is lightweight and quick to install. It gives a short overview of how much space you have as well as which folders are synchronizing. To add a new folder all you need to do is navigate over the Sync tab and click Add New Sync, then find the folder and your link will be created.

There is also the ability to stop syncing a folder whenever you need to and have the same folder synced with multiple devices. If you need to access files remotely the web interface is available online which will allow you to create as well as revise shared folders. At the moment you are also able to do backups of other online services like Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox too.

Within the Windows application, you will find buttons on top of the client which make it simple to navigate to shared links, account overview, settings, pCloud Crypto and support options. The design is simple and very easy to navigate which means even beginners won’t take long to adapt to the service.

One of the best aspects of this file-sharing is the smartphone app which will allow you to view things like videos, images, documents, and music on the go.

Benefits

Business

When it comes to business, there are many benefits to using pCloud as it affects productivity positively and keeps communication channels open. You’re able to create custom spaces for various projects and invite coworkers to view them and make comments if needed. The sharing of protected download and upload links is also beneficial.

With pCloud Crypto, which is included within a business account, your sensitive business information will never be compromised with client-side encryption as well as a zero-knowledge policy from pCloud meaning your data remains 100% confidential.

Personal

On a personal note, pCloud is a great user experience in general and allows the user to easily drag and drop files into the storage with no storage restrictions which means you never have to delete files to make space which you might need one day. You can also upload any family videos and images for backup in case of an emergency. And while there have been too many instances of malware getting the better of devices and all those personal family memories have been lost forever, this is not something you will have to worry about with pCloud.

Privacy

pCloud is located in Switzerland which has some of the best privacy laws in the world, so this means that despite pCloud keeping all your data on servers in the US, it has to comply with Swiss laws due to it being a Swiss company.

In terms of keeping your data extra secure, you can opt to use the zero-knowledge encryption service. You do have to pay an additional fee for this service, but it is worth it for the additional peace of mind knowing your data is secure.

You can also opt to pay extra for the Crypto tool which prevents any third parties and government agencies from monitoring your data. The Crypto tool also notes that while normally pCloud goes through your data to make sure there are no files that violate its terms and conditions, they aren’t able to do that if you use Crypto.

The other great thing about pCloud is that it explains your rights as a user, at length, in its privacy policy, and covers off everything from your ‘right to be informed’ to ‘the right to erasure’ to ensure you, as the user, have all the information you may need to make an informed decision before opting to use the service.

Features

There are many features on offer from pCloud that you might enjoy. They include:

Sync folder

Block-level sync

Selective sync

Bandwidth management

Sync any folder

File link sharing

Link passwords

Link expiry dates

Folder sharing

Folder permissions

Upload links

File previews

Media playback

Mobile apps

Deleted file retention

Versioning

WebDAV

At rest encryption

In transit encryption

Encryption protocol

Zero-knowledge

Two-factor authentication

US server location

Telephone support

Email support

Knowledgebase

Free plan

When it comes to file management, users are able to save as many files or folder to their pCloud as well as search for files and filter out any files depending on their format. One of the biggest positives of this program is the ability for users to collaborate on files together via the Invite to Folder feature. In addition to that, you can also make comments or even chat with coworkers within the file.

When working with a collective you need real-time synchronization of folders to make for an efficient working environment and with pCloud, you can automatically synchronize any files and folders on either the desktop version, mobile device or web browser.

The file versioning feature allows past versions of any file to be stored in the pCloud for as many as 180 days. You can also monitor which users have made revisions to specific versions. You can also backup any files from Facebook, Instagram, Picassa or WordPress to the pCloud using the integration feature.

When it comes to images you can create slideshows as well as perform any of the usual functions like deleting, copying, moving and renaming. You will not lose image quality as images retain their original resolution, but the great thing is that you can download resized versions of the original as well.

It should also be noted that pCloud handles audio files with ease like some of the most powerful desktop players in that it can load a playlist, shuffle songs, save your current queue as a playlist or repeat a playlist.

You can also access any of your files, playlists or images on the go by using the pCloud smartphone app.

Pricing

There are a number of ways that you can pay for your pCloud service, and there is even a 10BG plan which you can get for free. There are also ways to get an added 4GB which you can attain by referring friends or downloading the smartphone app and syncing it with the desktop client.

You can choose to pay a monthly subscription fee which will not tie you down and allows you to cancel at any particular time however it is also the most expensive way to pay for the pCloud service as the yearly payment option saves you 20%. The lifetime fee, although even more expensive, comes with even bigger savings.

If you start by using the monthly subscription and see that pCloud is a great fit for you it might be a good idea to go for the lifetime fee, which sets you up for 99 years.

You can also purchase pCloud for Family which allows for as many as five members of your family to join you on pCloud and you can set how much storage they can use.

Support

In terms of support, pCloud has an FAQ section which is split up into categories.

These include:

General

pCloud Drive

iOS

Android

Windows Mobile

Web

pCloud Crypto

Business

pCloud for Family

Affiliate

You can also click on some of the most popular questions people have which include:

What type of files can I sync with pCloud Sync?

How can I rewind my account?

How are my files secured if I’m not subscribed to pCloud Crypto?

If none of the articles match your query you can ask your question via the technical support contact form, or send through an email.

You will definitely get a response to your email within a few days, but more often than not they will get in touch in just a couple of hours.

As other cloud services offer instant chat services, as well as video tutorials and social media support, pCloud does not have any comparative services, so they could do a little better in that regard, to align more with their competitor’s support.

Bottom Line

There is no doubt that using a cloud service either at home or in the office is a great idea. At home, you will be able to backup all of your files at high speeds with unlimited storage which means even if something goes awry with your device you will always have your photos, videos as well as important documents safe and sound.

Businesses can take advantage of the pCloud service too and save money as they won’t have to spend as much on things like purchasing or maintaining equipment. pCloud also allows for coworkers to attain and alter documents with the original documents and past versions hanging around for as many as 180 days.

The military-grade encryption protocols that pCloud has to offer, allows your data to remain safe at all times. The Crypto feature also ensures sensitive information remains private and is definitely recommended for users in the US. These security features are not offered by default however so you will have to pay extra to use them.

pCloud is a simple to use cloud service, saving you space on your hard drive and allow for efficiency in the office, while being less costly than some of its competitors on the market.

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